West Hollywood , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The painting is called `` Coma . ''

It depicts an unconscious patient being slowly pulled into the mouth of a macabre death mask . Helpless . The death 's head resembles the opening of a CAT scan machine , a symbol of modern medical technology .

It is the work of Dr. Jack Kevorkian , the man who bore the notorious nickname `` Dr. Death . '' He was a passionate advocate for allowing certain people to choose the time and manner of their own death . He claimed to have assisted in the suicides for more than 130 patients over a period of nearly 20 years .

Kevorkian 's career ended in 1999 with his conviction on charges of second degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a patient who had Lou Gehrig 's disease . He spent eight years in prison .

Most people though do n't realize that Kevorkian was also a longtime painter . Eleven of his works of art are on display this month in a trendy West Hollywood art gallery .

`` He was a talented amateur , '' curator Lee Bowers told CNN . `` He painted throughout much of his life . ''

All 11 paintings are available for purchase . The asking price is as much as $ 45,000 per canvas , Bowers said . Proceeds go to the estate and the gallery , and the paintings that do n't sell are headed to the Smithsonian , Bowers said .

The exhibition also includes the assisted suicide machine that Kevorkian designed and built , the `` Thanatron . '' The contraption helped inject a series of drugs into terminal and incapacitated patients who wished to end their lives .

It too is for sale to the highest bidder , at a starting price of $ 25,000 .

Despite the attention surrounding the macabre suicide machine , the paintings comprise the heart of the show .

`` Paralysis '' is typical of the series of paintings that depict some aspect of disease and human suffering . The painting presents an image of a naked man crouched in a claustrophobic prison . Half his body has been turned to stone . His limbs are crumbling and useless . His brain has been removed and shackled , his body unable to respond to its commands .

Other paintings comment satirically on what Kevorkian viewed as the hypocrisy of the medical code of ethics . He once called efforts to prosecute him `` a political lynching , engineered by the Inquisition . ''

Portraits of Kevorkian 's parents and one of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach reflect an homage to those who influenced his life .

Efforts to sell the paintings following Kevorkian 's death in 2011 were hampered by a legal dispute over their ownership . For many years , they were housed in the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown , Massachusetts , near Boston . After his death , the Kevorkian estate claimed the art work was only on loan to the museum .

The dispute was resolved with the museum retaining four of his works . Kevorkian 's niece is now offering the paintings in her possession for sale at Gallerie Sparta .

Kevorkian told CNN 's Dr. Sanjay Gupta in 2010 that serving eight years in prison had not changed his view of assisted suicide .

`` It 's a medical service , '' Kevorkian stated , `` It 's not political . It 's not religious . ''

Are his paintings great art ? Well , that is in the eye of the beholder . But they continue to speak to Dr. Kevorkian 's battle against the medical and legal establishment . A battle that continues , even in death .

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Dr. Jack Kevorkian 's art is on display and for sale this month

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Kevorkian died in 2011 at age 82

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He was known as `` Dr. Death '' for his assisted suicides

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The exhibit includes 11 paintings and his assisted suicide machine , also for sale